1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an apparatus for insertion in a subterranean wellbore or a similar environment for obtaining a sample of fluid present in the wellbore.
2. Backgound of the Invention
In the development of petroleum reservoirs and other situations where a sample of fluid is desired from time to time, certain considerations must be given to the condition of the fluid being sampled, the pressures present in the fluid body being sampled and the remote location of the apparatus when the fluid sample is being obtained. In particular, the sampling of viscous crude oils from subterranean wells present certain problems in filling the sample cavity in a sampling device and suitably capturing the sample, taking into consideration the pressures and temperatures present in the wellbore at the sampling site. In these respects, and also taking into considerations other desiderata which will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present invention has been developed with a view to providing an improved wellbore fluid sampling apparatus particularly adapted for sampling viscous crude oils and similar liquids.